Gas-heated drier



April 2l, 1953 P. E. GELDHOF ET ALl GAS-HEATED DRIER 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Oct. 2, 1949 April 2l, 1953 P. E. GELDHOF ETAL GAS-HEATED DRIER Filed OCT.. 22 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 In VE 27 fa F5 /Zff ba/wm 6km/fof April 21, 1953 P. E. GELDHQF ET Al. 2,635,354

GAS-HEATED DRIER Filed Oct. 22 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 l l I '.f

Apr 21, 1953 P. E. GELDHOF ET Al; 2,635,354

. GAS-HEATED DRIER I Filed oct. 22, 1949 v4 Smets-sheet 4 Z #Mam /VaAw/Jon/ Patented Apr. 21, 1953 GAS-HEATED DRIER Peter Eduard Geldhof and Harold E. Morrison, Benton Harbor, Mich., assignors to Whirlpool Corporation, a corporation of New York Application October 22, 1949, Serial No. 123,018

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a gas drier, and more particularly, to a small drier of the type where the clothes are tumbled in a rotating drum which is provided with heated air from a gas burner within the casing of the drier.

It is a particular object of this invention to provide a novel means for heating air and circulating it through the drum of the drier.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel method of regulating the relative quantities of fresh air and of recirculating air that are circulated through the drum.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a drier with novel means for heating air whereby the articles in the drier are heated by radiant heat from the heated air conduit as well as by direct contact with heated air,

The novel features which we believe to be characteristic of our invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. Our invention itself, however, both as to its organization, manner of construction and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an isometric view of a clothes drier embodying the novel features and principles of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the drier of this invention with parts broken away to disclose the construction;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on line III-III of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 'IV-IV of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on line V-V of Figure 3; and

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on line VI-VI of Figure 4.

The clothes drier Ill illustrated in the various figures of the drawings is of the size commonly employed for household use and includes a cabinet II having a clothes door I2 (Figures 1 and 4) mounted in the front wall thereof. A plurality of air intake louvers I3 for the air which is to be circulated through the drier are provided in the rear wall of the cabinet I I,while a discharge port or ue I 4 in the rear wall permits the escape of air after it has passed through the drier and over` the clothes.

The cabinet II has a slanted upper portion IB on the front wall on which is mounted a temperature control knob I1, a timer control knob lI8 and a push-button I9 for opening thedoor I2.

The door I2 is mounted on two spaced apart, concealed hinge assemblies 2|, Figure 6. Each hinge assembly comprises a hook-shaped plate 23 secured to the inside of the door I2, and a plate 24 secured to the inside `of the front wall of the cabinet I 0. The plates 23 and 24 are pivotally secured together by means of a pin 26. A stop pin 21, carried by the plate 23, is movable in an arcuate slot 28 of the plate 24. A spring 29, disposed about the pin 26, has one leg bearing against the front wall of the cabinet and another leg bearing against the stop pin 21 and is effective to help urge the door to an open position when the push-button I9 is moved to release position.

The door I 2 has a front wall 39 (Figure 4) and a rear wall 3| which are spaced apart with the front wall 30 iiush in its closed position with the front wall of the casing and the rear wall 3| having a central portion substantially ush with the forward wall of the rotating drum.

The door I2 is also provided with an offset shoulder 32 which cooperates with a wall portion 33 to define a recessed groove 34 in which a resilient seal ring 35 is disposed. When the door closes, the seal ring is seated against a shoulder 38 formed on a lrecess annular ange 3l which is bent inwardly from the front wall of the casing to define a circular opening 38 through which the clothes may be inserted into the drum.

The door is opened by means of the lever 40 which is pivoted `on a pin 4I mounted on a bracket 42 secured to the inner wall of the casing. The lever 4c is actuated when the push-button I9 is pushed inwardly. The spring 43 disposed about pin 4I has one leg abutting the inner wall of the cabinet and the other leg abutting a flange portion of the lever 40 tending to urge the lever clockwise to move the push-button to the closed position.

A second lever 45 is pivotally mounted on a pin 46 which is secured in an angle member 41 mounted on the casing. When the lever 40 is pivoted counterclockwise upon its pivot pin 4I by means `of the push-button I9, the lever 45 is urged in a clockwise direction about the pivot pin 46 for contacting a dog 49 which is pivotally mounted on a pin 50 secured to the angle member 42', As the dog 49 rotates counterclockwise about the pivot pin 50, its lower end moves out of contact with an abutment arm 5I projecting above the upper end of the door I2. A spring 53, having one leg abutting the iiange of the angle member 47 and another leg tending to urge the dog 49 in a clockwise drection,resists the pivoting vaction 3 of the lever 45. When the door is closed, the spring 53 moves the dog 49 to a latching position and, through the linkages 45 and 40, helps the spring 43 to urge the push-button I9 into closed position.

As best seen in Figure 6, one of the hinge assemblies 2| carries a pin 56 around which a spring 51 is disposed. One/leg of thespring 51 abuts the stop pin 21, while the other leg bears against a pivoting lever 80 which is arranged to control the operations of the drum and the burners through a control switch 6|. It is seen in dotted lines that when the door is moved to Van open position, the switch is urged byy a-spring .in the switch 6| to a circuit-breaking position. When the door is closed, the springi51.contacts the lever 60 and moves the contacts of theswitchl to a closed position. Thus, whenthe Adoor is open, the main motor and the timer ymotor are deenergized and the valve to the burner is closed. Howevera light in thedrier casing is lit` and gas is supplied to the pilotli'ght.

Aclothes drum 63, Figure 4, is of. a generally cylindrical configuration having aforward or front wall 64 witha clothesA receivingopeningGS through which the clothes may be inserted. into the drum. It will be noted in Figure 4 that the circular Yopening 38 `defined by the inturned flange 31of the front wall of 4the cabinet is Vdisposed inside the circular `opening 65 onthe front wall of the drum.

VFor the Apurpose of tumbling the clothes inside .the drier, there is provided a pluralityof shelves 61 which are disposed longitudinally in the drier and extend radially inwardly from the side wall of the drum. .These shelves may be secured in .any convenient manner, as .by welding, to the drum.

YThe drum 63 is rotated by means ofa spider assembly 68 which has. arm ymembers 68a, 6817, and a third arm n(not shown). The hub portion of the spider68 has Ya central aperture receiving a ,driveshaft 12 in rigid driving engagement. The arms of the spider assembly 68 aresecured to the drum by means .of bo lts.69 through the Aside Walls of thedrum and rivets.10 through the rear-wall thereof.

ture 15 has inturned leg portions 16'which are secured, as by welding-to the-base of the cabinet.

The drive shaft`12 is rotated by means of a pulley 18 (Figure 3) which is driven through a V-belt 19 from a small pulley 80, which is integrally formed with a large pulley 83 and freely journaled'on, a shaft 8 I. The shaft 8| is secured to abracket 84 supported from the support structure 15.

In this invention, the air which is circulated through the drum is directed into and out of the drum through the annular opening in the rear wall thereof. To obtain this circulation the peripheral wall of the drum is imperforate and the front wall of thedrum is sealed to the front wall of the cabinet. The peripheral edge of the drum f is also sealed to establish a circulation of air into and out of the drum through the rear wall thereof and to prevent cool or unheated air from passing into the drum around the edge thereof. VTo ef- The support structure 15, asbest thereof.

feet this sealing action, there is provided a bulkhead 90, Figures 3 and 4, which extends substantially from the base of the cabinet to the upper end of the drum and has an upper semi-cylindrical surface which corresponds to the outline of the rear wall of the drum but is slightly larger than the diameter of the drum. A band -9| is -secured to the rearmost edge'of the side walls of the drum andhas a, portion projecting longitudinally away from the drum for close contact against the bulkhead 90. Thus, a substantial seal is effected around the periphery of the drum.

The rear rwall of the drum comprises a central 4circular disk portion 92 which has an inturned flangeportion 93 secured around the hub portion of the spider 68. A ring-like screen 94 covers the back wall of the drum between the side walls and the central disk portion 92, The outer end of this screen member may be disposed between the Vband 9|V and the side walls of the drum. It will be recognized that there is thus provided on the rear wall of the drum 4an annular outer screen ring which Will permit the entrance of heated air to the rear portion of the drum. 4

Heated air is .directed into the rear of the drum by. means of a duct 95 which is disposed in a substantially vertical direction in the cabinet along one side thereof,.as seen in Figures Y2 and 3. At the upperend, the duct 95 is provided with a tubularjportion 95a which has a. telescoping engagement with a circular flange 96 .in the bulkhead 90. `At'its lower end, the duct 95 communicates with the combustion chamber 98 which has walls ydiverging toward thev opening in the lower end of the ductv 95. A substantially cylindrical guide tube |00 is secured around the combustion chamber 98 atthe lower end of the bulkhead by means of an angle brace |0|. The

guide tube |00 encircles the combustion chamber 98 and'forms an air-,intake spaced forwardly of the bulkhead 90, directing air forwardly` along the outer wall of the combustion chamber 98 and into the forward end thereof, and with said combustion, chamber forms an air tunnel extending beneath and to one side of the drier drum and is intersected by the Vextended lower margins Connectors |02 hold the combustion chamber 98 in position with its rearward end dis- Aposed ina flanged portion |02 of the duct 95.

The combustion end |04 of a typical gas burner |05 is disposed in the combustion chamber 98 and has a connection |09 at its forward end for communication through a main supply valve with a source of gas.

The controland igniter circuit for the gas burner |05 and the piping connections thereto, as well as the control circuit for the motor 85, door switch 6| and the other electrical parts of deviceare not herein shown or described in detail since they form the subject matter of a divisional application Serial No. 208,708, filed January 31,1951.

It is to benoted in Figures 2 and 3 that an opening |01 of substantially rectangular configuration is provided in the bulkhead directly adjacent one Wall of the flue or duct 95. Thus,

`the air immediately adjacent the duct will be heated by radiation from the duct and will move through the opening I 01 into the rear portion of the drum. Therefore, it will be recognized that heated air is provided to the rear end of the drum not only through the opening defined by 'the flange 96 which communicates directly with the duct 95, but also through the'opening |01 which furnishes asupplyof radiantly heated'air.

A support structure is provided for the duct 95 in the form of two side plates IH and H2, Figure 3, and a rear plate H3 secured together to form a three-sided, generally vertical, support structure. The fiat plate I I3 is provided with an opening which is covered by an arcuate cover member H5 secured to the plate H3. A lid portion H5a, Figure 3, covers the upper end of the member H5. A recess portion H4, Figure 2, in the forward portion of the duct maintains the duct in spaced relation behind the bulkhead, while a pair of spacer elements IB secured to the rear wall H3, have arcuate contact surfaces which bear against the duct and urge it against the bulkhead.

It is a feature of this invention that a definite portion of the air in the drum which has been used for drying the clothes is drawn therefrom and recirculated back through the drum to an opening in the rear wall thereof. It will be understood that since, in drying the clothes, the air picks up a good deal of moisture and lint, it is not possible to recirculate all of the air which is exhausted from the drum. It has been found thatl if approximately one-third of the air is recirculated through this drum, a maximum eiectiveness of operation can be attained.

A blower |20, Figure 3, is mounted on the rear face of the bulkhead 90. This blower draws air out of the drum through an opening I2! in the bulkhead. A substantially rectangular duct |22 is secured to the back of the bulkhead enclosing the blower |20. This duct has a substantially arcuate configuration conforming to the configuration of the upper portion of the bulkhead. At the upper end of the duct |22, the discharge flue I4 extends outwardly through the cabinet to permit a portion of the recirculated air to escape through the flue. As best seen in Figures 4 and 5, a scoop-like member 12d extends substantially across duct |22 for intercepting a portion of the air and directing it outwardly through the nue I4.

Another portion of the air passes around the end of the scoop |24 and is directed by means of a baille |25 through an opening |2|1` in the bulkhead 90 which leads to the drum. The blower |20 has a shaft |28 which is rotated by means of a pulley |29 and the V-belt 8S which is driven from the motor 85.

The duct |22 extends upwardly from the blower |20 transversely across the top of the bulkhead |22 and conforms generally to the form of the top portion thereof and has communication at its end opposite said blower with a chamber or conduit |30, which encircles the duct 95. The chamber |30 is dened by the enclosing walls III, H2 and I I3. Air radiantly heated by the duct 95 flows upwardly along this chamber |30 through the opening |25 into the drier drum through the rear wall thereof by convection currents and the aspirating effect of the air under pressure from the blower. Thus, air is drawn from the rear portion of the drum through the opening I2I and is circulated through the duct |22. A portion of the air is directed out of the flue I4, while another portion, possibly one-third thereof, is directed into the drum through the opening |26 in the rear wall of the bulkhead.

In order to illuminate the inside of the washing machine to facilitate removal of dry clothes therefrom, there is provided in the wall of the bulkhead directly opposite one of the screen portions of the drum, a window |30', Figure 4, which has a lamp bulb I3| positioned in close relation thereto. The bulb is mounted in a socket |33 which is supported from the wall of the upright support member H3.

From the above description, it will be apparent that the present invention provides an extremely compact, efficient clothes drier of the household type. 'Ihe efficient and economical operation of the machine is likewise coupled with a very high degree of safety.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a clothes drier, a cabinet having a front wall having a clothes receiving opening therein and a door closing said opening, a drier drum rotatably mounted within said cabinet and having an imperforate cylindrical wall, a front wall having a yclothes receiving opening therein confronting said door, means sealing said front wall of said drum to said iront wall of said cabinet on the outside of the clothes receiving opening therein, said drum also having a rear wall having an annular air circulating opening therein, a bulkhead extending along said rear wall of said drum and having a plurality of air circulating openings therein in communication with said annular opening in said rear wall of said drum, means sealing said rear wall of said drum to said bulkhead adjacent the margin thereof, a blower on said bulkhead communicating with one of said air circulating openings in said bulkhead, an exhaust duct leading from said blower out through a wall of said Icabinet, an inlet air duct extending vertically along said bulkhead and communicating with the interior of said drum through another of the openings in said bulkhead, a motor within said cabinet beneath and to one side of said drum, means driven by said motor for rotatably driving said drum and blower, and the intake for said intake duct extending along said cabinet beneath said drum on the opposite side of said drum from said motor and having communication with said intake air duct at the lower end thereof.

2. In a clothes drier, a cabinet having a front wall having a clothes receiving opening therein and a door closing said opening, a drier drum rotatably mounted within said cabinet and having an imperforate cylindrical wall, a front wall having a clothes receiving opening therein confronting the clothes receiving opening in said cabinet, means sealing said front wall of said drum to said front wall of said cabinet on the outside of said clothes receiving opening, said drum also having a rear wall having an annular air circulating opening therein; a bulkhead extending along said rear wall of said drum and having a plurality of air circulating openings therein in communication with said annular opening in said bulkhead, means sealing said rear wall of said drum to said bulkhead adjacent the peripheral margin of said drum, an intake air duct extending vertically along said bulkhead and communicating with one of said air circulating openings therein, said intake air duct having an opening at the lower end thereof and an intake extending therefrom along one side wall of said cabinet beneath said drum, heating means in communication with said intake, a chamber extending vertically along said intake air duct and spaced therefrom, an exhaust blower in communication with another opening in said bulkhead, an air duct extending from said exhaust blower transversely along said bulkhead and communicating with said chamber extending along said intake air duct, an exhaust air duct leading from said air duct leading from said blower out through a wall of said cabinet, said air duct leading from said blower communicating with another Lof said openingsin,saidbulkheadpand defiecting means in said last mentioned air duct'deflecting 'only a part of the airexhausted from said drum out-through said exhaust duct and recirculating a part of the air back into said drum, and also directing air from said chamber into said drum.

3. In alclothes drier, a cabinet, a drier drum rotatably mounted within said cabinet and having a front wall having a clothes-receiving opening thereinyconfronting a front wall of said cabinet and sealed thereto, said drumalso having a rear wall having an annular air circulating opening therein, a bulkhead extending along the rear Vwallof said drum and sealed thereto, a blower on said bulkhead communicating with said annular opening in said drum, an exhaust duct leading from said blower out through a Wall of said cabinet, an inlet opening in said bulkhead communicating with said annular opening in said drum,

,an intakeair duct extending along said bulkhead and communicating with said inlet opening, said .drum having a diameter substantially equal to the inside dimensions between'the side walls of said cabinetand slightly less than the vertical height of said cabinet, and the intake for said intake duct extending along one side wall of said cabinet beneath said drum and intersected by a Yhorizontal line drawn tangent to the lower margin of said drum.

4. lin a clothes drier, a cabinet, a drier drum rotatably mounted in said cabinet and having a front wall having a clothes-receiving opening Ytherein confrontinga front Wall of said cabinet and sealed thereto, a door in said front wall of said cabinet closing said opening and aifording Aaccess thereto, said drum having a real` lwall havair extending along the rear of said bulkhead and conducting the heated air to said inlet opening, said drum'having an outside diameter slightly less than the inside dimensions of said cabinet and taking up a greater part of the space between the side and top and bottom walls of said cabinet,

.andan air intake tunnelconnected with said duct Yfor heated air and extending along one side wall of said cabinet beneath and to one side of said drum and intersected by the extended lower margins thereof and opening to the front wall of said cabinet.

`5. In a'clothes drier, a cabinet, a drier drum rotatably mounted in said cabinet and having a `:front wall having a clothes-receiving opening therein and confronting the front wall of said cabinet and sealed thereto, a door in said cabinet closing said opening and affording access thereto, said drum having a rear wall having an annular opening therein, a bulkhead extending vertically along the rear wall of said drum and sealed to the periphery thereof, a blower mounted on said bulkhead and communicating with said annular opening in said drum, an exhaust duct leading from said blo-wer out through a wall of said cabinet, an intake opening -in said bulkhead spaced from said blower and confronting said annular opening in said drum, an intake air duct extending vertically along one side of the rear Wall of saidbulkhead, the outside diameter of said drum being slightly smaller than the inside dimensions .ofsaid cabinet and said drum taking upa greater part of the space within said cabinet, a heating element extending along one wall of said cabinet to vone side of said drum and intersected byia horizontal plane extending along the lower marg-ins of said drum, and an air intake tunnel surrounding said heating element and communicating with said air intake duct and opening along said heating element toward the front of said cabinet.

6.In a clothes drier, a cabinet, a drier drum rotatably mounted within said cabinet and having a front wall having a clothes-receiving opening therein confronting a front Wall of said cabinet and sealed thereto, a door in said cabinet closing said opening to said drum and affording access to said opening, said drum having a rear wall having an annular air circulating opening therein, a bulkhead extending along the rear wall of said drum and sealed thereto, a blower on said bulkhead communicating with said annular opening in said drum, an exhaust duct leading from said blower out through a wall of said cabinet, an inlet opening in said bulkhead confronting said annular opening in said drum and spaced from said blo-wer, an air intake duct communicating with said intake opening and extending vertically along the rear of said bulkhead adjacent one side thereof, a motor mounted on the bottom of said cabinet toward one side wall thereof and intersected by the extended lower margins of said drum, drive connections from said motor to said drum and blower, for rotatably driving said drum and blower, and an intake tunnel for heated air extending along the opposite side wall of said cabinet from said motor beneath said drum and intersected by the laterally extended lower margins thereof, said intake tunnel opening to the front of said cabinet and drawing fresh air into said cabinet and circulating it over said motor to the front of said bulkhead.

7. In a clothes drier, a cabinet, a drier drum rotatably mounted within said cabinet and having a front wall having a clothes-receiving opening therein confronting a front wall of said cabinet and sealed thereto, a door in said cabinet closing said opening and affording access to said drum, said drum having a rear wall having an annular opening therein, a bulkhead extending along the rear wall of said drum and sealed thereto, a blower mounted on said bulkhead and communicating with said annular opening in said drum, an exhaust duct leading from said blower out through a wall of said cabinet, an -inlet opening in said bulkhead confronting said annular opening in said drum and spaced from said blower, an intake air duct communicating with said intake opening and mounted on the rear of said bulkhead and extending vertically along one side thereof, a motor extending along one wall of said cabinet beneath said drum and intersected by the extended lower margins of said drum, drive connections from said motor to said drum and blower for rotatably driving said drum and blower, a heating element extending in the space beneath said drum along the opposite side of said cabinet from said motor, and an air intake tunnel communicating with said heating element and said air intake duct and opening to the front of said cabinet and intersected by the extended lower margins of said drum.

PETER EDUARD GELDHOF. HAROLD E. MORRISON.

v(References on following page) 9 References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Butzbach Aug. 18, 1925 Couch May 4, 1937 Thornbery July 15, 1941 Lindberg Nov. 11, 1941 Klein Apr. 10, 1945 Number 10 Name Date Wales Mar. 25, 1947 Koppel Feb. 1, 1949 Matthews et a1 Aug. 16, 1949 Patterson et a1. Oct. 25, 1949 Morris Oct. 25, 1949 Mintner et al Feb. 21, 1950 Geld'hof Sept. 12, 1950 

